THE BANK OF CHINA TOWER

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THE BANK OF CHINA TOWER
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Background Information

• Located in the Heart of Downtown Hong Kong
• 1208 ft. tall
• 72 Floors
• Commercial Use, Bank Branch
• Hybrid of Hancock (X Brace) and Sears Tower
  (Tapered)
• 5th Tallest When Built
• 11th Tallest Currently
• Steel, Concrete, Glass, Aluminum
• Cost of Construction Approx. 150 Million

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I.M. PEI

• Chinese-American
• Harvard MIT
• Famous Architect
• Most Famous Works Include
• Pyramide du Louvre
• Hancock Place (Boston)
• Sharp geometry
• Conceived Idea for Tower Himself
• Worked with Robertson previously

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Leslie Robertson

• Berkley- Civil Engineer
• Owns Structural Engineering Firm
• World Trade Center Twin Towers
• ENR Constructions Man of the Year 1989
• Figured out how to Support Peis Inventive idea
• Utilizes innovative forms (3D Space Truss)

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Thesis

• The Bank of China Building is the most unique
  work of Structural Art of its kind, ever.
• IM Pei has the ability to create simple yet
  unbelievably exciting forms which enthrall the
  viewer and satisfy the ideals of Society and
  Symbolism.
• Peis genius however would never be portrayed if
  not for the incredible technical imagination of
  Leslie Robertson, responsible for the Scientific
  aspects of the building.

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Social/Economic

• Very Economic
• 150 Million to Build
• Uses Much less Steel than similar buildings
• Only Excess is Aluminum Cladding
• Open FloorsMany Uses
• Open to Public
• Easily Experienced

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Scientific/Efficient

• Materials
• Steel
• Glass
• Aluminum
• Concrete
• 3-D Space Truss Design
• Withstands
• Winds 2x NYC
• Earthquakes 4x LA

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Support Column Comparisons
Traditional
Tube (Hancock)
Bank of China
Tier 1 Tier 2
Tier 3 Tier
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Video
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Live Load vs. Height BOC Tower
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Symbolic/Elegant

• The Pride of China
• Designed, Financed and Built by Chinese
• Sharp, Smooth
• Visually Intriguing
• Unique
• Began Hong Kong Tower Race
• Built and Modified to Pass Fung Shui
• Xs turned to Diamonds
• Chopsticks on top
• Sharp Edges Under Fire

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Scientific Comparison

• Hancock Tower
• Cross Bracing
• Hancocks Supports Building from Wind Loads
• BOCs Supports Wind Loads and Building Forces
  while being more Artistic Pleasing
• Hancock uses much more Steel

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Form Comparison

• Sears Tower
• Similar Form
• Bundled Tube
• Smaller Towers abruptly end as Building Rises
• However BOC maintains Fluidity as tower rises
• BOC more Artistic

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Cost Comparison

• HSBC Tower
• Bank Headquarters
• Norman Foster Designed
• Believed 1 Billion Cost
• Same Floor Space as BOC

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Structural Art?

• YOU KNOW IT
• First of its kind
• Building Integrates Aluminum and Glass as one
• Sharp edges as insisted by Pei
• Peak Blends into Backdrop (Mt. Victoria)
• Geometry is not rigidForm Flows
• Makes you want to experience the building

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